I thought I’d update you all today on my pneumonia and the small amount of crafting that I have managed to do. Generally I’m steering myself towards a better place, last week was good on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, but Friday I deteriorated much to the concern of my doctor and so the weekend was filled with an anxious husband and children badgering me to go to the hospital. You can imagine it can’t you “cough” – “go to the hospital” (ignore it) “Cough, cough” – “go to the hospital” (ignore it) “Cough, cough, cough” , accompanied by slight retching sounds as gasping for breath whilst clutching ribs, – “GO to the hospital” …. Female of forty odd years stands her ground and whilst gasping for breath manages to scream at her family that have collected around her “Will you lot just SHUT UP!!” Family dissipate until the next round of coughing where upon they regroup and have another go.

This morning, well, I don’t feel quite so ill as I did at the weekend, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I was feeling brighter and my right lung is really hurting. I think that’s to do with all the coughing I have done for the last few weeks, but I’m definitely feeling… not as ill.

One of the benefits of being ill is you get to watch as much television as you are able, although mostly your bored to tears by it. But there was a rare treat on last week which I thoroughly enjoyed, Kirstie Allsopp’s Homemade Christmas. One of her projects really tickled me, her Christmas stocking, although the cost of her chosen materials didn’t. I was deeply shocked by how expensive her materials were, mohair bear at £75.00 a metre for a three year old, maybe not. What I do love about Kirsty is she has an enthusiastic bubbly personality and obviously loves crafting. I like that.

So on Thursday Kirstie’s idea of a Christmas stocking wouldn’t leave me alone. Fortunately my sewing machine and other crafty materials are still downstairs. (See mother there are some benefits to not being house proud!) So it was not difficult to set everything up.

I’ve been collecting material, this is a tip for patch workers or would be patch workers that come across my blog. Fabric sample books are wonderful for patch workers, even the heavy materials from furniture suppliers are well worth having. And generally, they are free. They are just thrown away so if you can get in there first before the schools, local charities or perhaps someone else that has read this blog, do it. I’ve even been known to ask at shops making curtains etc when out on a day out.

So, this stocking that you are about to see was made with material given to me from my local shops, (I’ve got that wrapped up so don’t even try!!!) a little wadding and material left over from my Christmas skirt, I bought the jingle bells and Christmas rope – which were in my stash. So sum total I think including threads, would have been about £1.50 for this project.

I started with choosing the back and lining of my stocking.

That was a bit tricky as most samples are quite small, but occasionally you do get a bigger bit and I was lucky that I had a lovely red to use.

I really enjoyed this part, I gathered together golds, creams, reds, rusts and greens, of various textures, they just look so pretty. It was great fun.

Next I made a pattern out of some tissue paper that I had saved. Cut out my wadding and then started to sew random patches onto my stocking shaped wadding.

I then trimmed all of the materials up and embellished my stocking with Christmas rope. Next I cut out the backing and lining materials,

and sewed them together. And that was the tricky bit. Trying to remember exactly how Kirstie had sewn them all together in one go and how it would work. My brain was doing backward flips at that point as it was desperately trying to work in 3D.

However, I managed it first time!

It was right sides of the backing and front together and right sides of the linings together, placed on top of the backing side. Sounds weird doesn’t it.

Then once sewn up, pop your fingers in between the front and the backing and turn inside out.

and you have a stocking.

I used some quilt binding that was spare from my Christmas tree skirt. And I added a couple of jingle bells – because anyone that knows me knows that If I can add a little musical interest to a Christmas item, I will. They do make it absolutely wonderful, because they work on another sense, its not just visual its auditory and it really brings Christmas alive in this stocking.

The completed stocking. Its not perfect, but its mine and I love it so.